cobl04
45:33
Both of these were great, but "house song that samples Aja" is a sentence that I can't even fully express how much I love
Desert Island XI - QUARANTINE ISLAND - Group 3 Listening Thread
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Both of these were great, but "house song that samples Aja" is a sentence that I can't even fully express how much I love
cobl04
45:33
I wouldn't say I didn't like it much, I did! Just some stretches weren't my thing. But that's ok, because they're yours, and you will have this playlist forever!
Alrighty, so I visited Philly via PFan's list and NYC via gump's, now time to pop into Ashley's LA. Can the west coast outdo the east? Not in terms of Australian Spotify: FOUR of these tracks aren't on here. Fortunately, the Sisters of Mercy track is on Spotify but a different edition of the album (I know the song well anyway, so this isn't a big deal), and the Wang Chung track is on a compilation. I had to resort to YouTube for Suga Free and Josie Cotton.
I haven't had strong opinions on the first ten tracks. I don't mind most of it, but nothing has excited me either. I'd say I enjoyed the Dred Scott track most, while the Souls of Mischief one was the most boring.
None of you will ever convince me that Prince is worth the time of day. I enjoyed the handful of songs after him, especially Laura Branigan. But wowee "Crockett's Theme" is cheeeeessssyyyyy. Now that I've got to the end of this half of the list, I wish I had more to say. It was mostly decent listening but not a lot leapt out at me for good or bad.
On to the second half now and I'm having a bit of trouble with how dated all of this sounds, but the Sisters of Mercy sound dated in a good way to my ears and their songs are always welcome. Plimsouls and Siouxsie, too. Could've done without X or David & David. I was, however, excited to get to "Red Eyes". It slaps, and its throwback style meant it fit well in the list despite being so much more recent.
Most of this list feels like it could be the soundtrack to an early eighties TV series filmed in LA. It has that vibe really consistently, I think - the hiphop section at the start obviously being more suited to an early nineties production. Even by the end, I'd had few strong reactions, and I'm sorry I've not a lot more to say about this list.
Philly > LA > NYC.
I haven't had strong opinions on the first ten tracks. I don't mind most of it, but nothing has excited me either. I'd say I enjoyed the Dred Scott track most, while the Souls of Mischief one was the most boring.
None of you will ever convince me that Prince is worth the time of day. I enjoyed the handful of songs after him, especially Laura Branigan. But wowee "Crockett's Theme" is cheeeeessssyyyyy. Now that I've got to the end of this half of the list, I wish I had more to say. It was mostly decent listening but not a lot leapt out at me for good or bad.
On to the second half now and I'm having a bit of trouble with how dated all of this sounds, but the Sisters of Mercy sound dated in a good way to my ears and their songs are always welcome. Plimsouls and Siouxsie, too. Could've done without X or David & David. I was, however, excited to get to "Red Eyes". It slaps, and its throwback style meant it fit well in the list despite being so much more recent.
Most of this list feels like it could be the soundtrack to an early eighties TV series filmed in LA. It has that vibe really consistently, I think - the hiphop section at the start obviously being more suited to an early nineties production. Even by the end, I'd had few strong reactions, and I'm sorry I've not a lot more to say about this list.
Philly > LA > NYC.
phanan
Blue Crack Addict
bono_212
Blue Crack Distributor
Time for iYup's list. I love "Your Path to Divinity" - the whole self-titled Jesu album was really formative for my tastes, and the first half in particular is immense. "Friends Are Evil" is Justin K. Broadrick at his very best. Anyhow, I was curious to see how drone doom would fit among tracks I assumed would be softer. I expected it to stick out like a sore thumb. My scepticism was unjustified: it fit perfectly.
From Low to Jon Talabot, the tracks flow together so well. A lot of this is stuff that's adjacent to my interests, but hadn't really stood out to me - I'm a Slowdive fan but I rarely put on Pygmalion and I couldn't think of how "Trellisaze" sounds. It's one that I'd write off as boring if I put on a bunch of Slowdive songs and shuffled it. But gee I'm enjoying listening to these tracks in the context you've created. Really rich textures that all do something a little different but sit very neatly with each other, including a whole bunch of segues that are so smooth I didn't notice the start of a new track. The Skee Mask track is great, and the Talabot one a personal favourite that I hadn't listened to for a while.
I found the transition to "Deathless" the first that was in any rough, and I didn't enjoy "Mulatu" as much as the tracks that had gone before. The list got back into a good groove for me until "I Ain't Ever Seent No...", which to be honest I found boring. Again, though, a minor blip.
The run to the end was superb. Great way to conclude. The Perfume Genius track was a highlight - not the first example this tournament of an artist who I assumed was outside my wheelhouse surprising me.
I'd say this is the best list so far. It's unbelievably well put together, just about seamless, and it's totally immersive. The mood is a distinctive one that shifts effectively through a range of textures. It's left a big impression on me. I've got LJT and Joey to go - can either of them outdo this?
From Low to Jon Talabot, the tracks flow together so well. A lot of this is stuff that's adjacent to my interests, but hadn't really stood out to me - I'm a Slowdive fan but I rarely put on Pygmalion and I couldn't think of how "Trellisaze" sounds. It's one that I'd write off as boring if I put on a bunch of Slowdive songs and shuffled it. But gee I'm enjoying listening to these tracks in the context you've created. Really rich textures that all do something a little different but sit very neatly with each other, including a whole bunch of segues that are so smooth I didn't notice the start of a new track. The Skee Mask track is great, and the Talabot one a personal favourite that I hadn't listened to for a while.
I found the transition to "Deathless" the first that was in any rough, and I didn't enjoy "Mulatu" as much as the tracks that had gone before. The list got back into a good groove for me until "I Ain't Ever Seent No...", which to be honest I found boring. Again, though, a minor blip.
The run to the end was superb. Great way to conclude. The Perfume Genius track was a highlight - not the first example this tournament of an artist who I assumed was outside my wheelhouse surprising me.
I'd say this is the best list so far. It's unbelievably well put together, just about seamless, and it's totally immersive. The mood is a distinctive one that shifts effectively through a range of textures. It's left a big impression on me. I've got LJT and Joey to go - can either of them outdo this?
cobl04
45:33
LJT & iYup for me.
iron yuppie
ONE love, blood, life
Thanks Ax. This is awesome feedback. I'm glad people are picking up the vibe I was going for so far.
Re: Slowdive. Pygmalion is a stunning album. No one really brings that up as a reinvention, but it's quite a left-turn from Souvlaki.
And I would highly recommend Perfume Genius - in general but especially his latest, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately. It was the best album I had heard this year until I got to the new one from Nicolas Jaar a few days ago.
Today's listening: LJT. This tracklist has piqued by curiosity from the get-go.
The first three songs fit together really well to set up the general tone of the list, and then Leonard Cohen hits it out of the park - if you're trying to explore the tensions of this strange pandemic life, you could scarcely pick a track with better delivery. The Torres track owns too. I hadn't listened to Silver Tongue yet, but I definitely will now; I've found her previous work hit and miss, with some songs I love (especially "Strange Hellos") but no whole album that's grabbed me, hence my failure to play this album yet.
Fontaines DC toured here last year, so I listened to Dogrel, or at least I tried. I couldn't finish it. Instrumentally, I like it, but the vocalist sucks and takes up too much of the space. "The Lotts" works on your list, though. Maybe they're a band I can enjoy in small doses.
"The Way the Wind Blows" isn't really my kinda thing but "The Fall" is a lovely little inclusion and leads well into "Loop the Loop", a highlight of the list. Also, I should single out "Hopeless" as a stand-out, a track I did not previously know and which evoked an "ooh I wonder who this is" reaction.
Australian Spotify only has live versions of the Fever Ray song, so I had to turn to YouTube. Even with that clunky fallback, it fit well with the tracks either side. I've been really digging Austra this last year or so, especially her first album. I hadn't listened to her for a while until one day on the bus to work (hah what a quaint memory) and I was scrolling through my iPod; I chose "Darken Her Horse" almost on a whim and it's been back in regular rotation ever since. Her newest album has a few pretty good tracks too.
I don't think the Nujabes track fit on the list - it sat poorly with what came before or after. Maybe it would've worked somewhere earlier on the list. But speaking of what came after, I never expected to see someone else on here use Lantlôs! This is the gooood stuff. Honestly, it too stuck out a bit from the rest of the list, but I quite enjoyed the transition into Zola Jesus. Not at all a pairing I would have thought of, and I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't work for some other listeners, but I thought it was great.
I noticed people remarked already on the sudden shift for the last track, and wowee they were not wrong. Total change of pace, and to be honest not my style of music at all. But good on you for trying something very different to end the list and point in new directions.
Overall, this tracklist was great, and even better than I anticipated. Listening to it and iYup in successive days has been a treat: two very well realised lists. LJT, I think yours suffered a bit in the last five songs just in the sense of cohesion compared to how meticulous the rest of the list is - it was a bit more scattered. But it's hard to complain when that section included some great songs, and for the rest of the list you really nailed a cohesive listening experience. In some sections, songs that would not have moved me individually worked effectively to advance your sonic theme, while other songs were big individual high points that needed no context to succeed. I really appreciated that balance. I'm going to have a hard time deciding whether I like your list or iYup's more. Joey's the only one left, and I get the feeling from some of his song choices that I might be wrapping up this tournament with my three favourite lists all in a row...
The first three songs fit together really well to set up the general tone of the list, and then Leonard Cohen hits it out of the park - if you're trying to explore the tensions of this strange pandemic life, you could scarcely pick a track with better delivery. The Torres track owns too. I hadn't listened to Silver Tongue yet, but I definitely will now; I've found her previous work hit and miss, with some songs I love (especially "Strange Hellos") but no whole album that's grabbed me, hence my failure to play this album yet.
Fontaines DC toured here last year, so I listened to Dogrel, or at least I tried. I couldn't finish it. Instrumentally, I like it, but the vocalist sucks and takes up too much of the space. "The Lotts" works on your list, though. Maybe they're a band I can enjoy in small doses.
"The Way the Wind Blows" isn't really my kinda thing but "The Fall" is a lovely little inclusion and leads well into "Loop the Loop", a highlight of the list. Also, I should single out "Hopeless" as a stand-out, a track I did not previously know and which evoked an "ooh I wonder who this is" reaction.
Australian Spotify only has live versions of the Fever Ray song, so I had to turn to YouTube. Even with that clunky fallback, it fit well with the tracks either side. I've been really digging Austra this last year or so, especially her first album. I hadn't listened to her for a while until one day on the bus to work (hah what a quaint memory) and I was scrolling through my iPod; I chose "Darken Her Horse" almost on a whim and it's been back in regular rotation ever since. Her newest album has a few pretty good tracks too.
I don't think the Nujabes track fit on the list - it sat poorly with what came before or after. Maybe it would've worked somewhere earlier on the list. But speaking of what came after, I never expected to see someone else on here use Lantlôs! This is the gooood stuff. Honestly, it too stuck out a bit from the rest of the list, but I quite enjoyed the transition into Zola Jesus. Not at all a pairing I would have thought of, and I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't work for some other listeners, but I thought it was great.
I noticed people remarked already on the sudden shift for the last track, and wowee they were not wrong. Total change of pace, and to be honest not my style of music at all. But good on you for trying something very different to end the list and point in new directions.
Overall, this tracklist was great, and even better than I anticipated. Listening to it and iYup in successive days has been a treat: two very well realised lists. LJT, I think yours suffered a bit in the last five songs just in the sense of cohesion compared to how meticulous the rest of the list is - it was a bit more scattered. But it's hard to complain when that section included some great songs, and for the rest of the list you really nailed a cohesive listening experience. In some sections, songs that would not have moved me individually worked effectively to advance your sonic theme, while other songs were big individual high points that needed no context to succeed. I really appreciated that balance. I'm going to have a hard time deciding whether I like your list or iYup's more. Joey's the only one left, and I get the feeling from some of his song choices that I might be wrapping up this tournament with my three favourite lists all in a row...
Joey788
Refugee
iron yuppie:
- Your list was one of the furthest away from my usual listening habits – with this spacey, glitchy, but also beautiful ambience making up the bulk of it. While it’s rare that I would sit and actively listen to these types of songs, I think they made for a perfect moodsetter for an early evening vibe, which is when I listened to it. So it worked for me in that setting.
- Low and Tim Hecker did a great job laying out your list’s general mission statement, but then Jesu took it in a heavier direction, which I appreciated. You managed to keep a similar sensation throughout your list, even as you switched it up musically, which is not easy to do!
- I liked how the almost atonal nature of Oliver Coates and that Slowdive track flowed into the distorted electronica of the next section.
- Skee Mask through Four Tet worked wonderfully.
- “Destiny” was almost too upbeat to come in-between Four Tet and Ibeyi. Still a decent song though. “Deathless” was a great pick from Ibeyi’s catalog – love the Kasami Washington work on this one.
- The next section lost me a bit just due to their length in a jazzy style that I don’t particularly like much. 25 minutes of that style in only two songs was a struggle for me to get through. “Like It Is” was a bit better, but I was almost too burnt out on the previous tracks to appreciate it.
- On the other hand, Ben LaMar Gay had a more sinister and strange approach that kept my interest throughout, even though it went on for a bit. But Laurel Halo left me cold too.
- “Unravel” is just an untouchable song – it put the playlist back on the right track for me. “Die 4 You” was an inspired follow-up choice as well.
- I’ve never heard anything from Reality, but “Bring Me the Disco King” was a fantastic closer. Even though it’s stylistically different, you can almost hear the origins of Blackstar here.
- So while most of this playlist is not a style I seek out, glad I got a chance to explore it through your playlist. With a couple of exceptions for me, it worked well.
And that’s the last of the playlists for me. Got to say, everyone here did a top-notch job with their playlists. I really enjoyed listening to all of them!
Oh God, now I have to somehow rank all of these.
- Your list was one of the furthest away from my usual listening habits – with this spacey, glitchy, but also beautiful ambience making up the bulk of it. While it’s rare that I would sit and actively listen to these types of songs, I think they made for a perfect moodsetter for an early evening vibe, which is when I listened to it. So it worked for me in that setting.
- Low and Tim Hecker did a great job laying out your list’s general mission statement, but then Jesu took it in a heavier direction, which I appreciated. You managed to keep a similar sensation throughout your list, even as you switched it up musically, which is not easy to do!
- I liked how the almost atonal nature of Oliver Coates and that Slowdive track flowed into the distorted electronica of the next section.
- Skee Mask through Four Tet worked wonderfully.
- “Destiny” was almost too upbeat to come in-between Four Tet and Ibeyi. Still a decent song though. “Deathless” was a great pick from Ibeyi’s catalog – love the Kasami Washington work on this one.
- The next section lost me a bit just due to their length in a jazzy style that I don’t particularly like much. 25 minutes of that style in only two songs was a struggle for me to get through. “Like It Is” was a bit better, but I was almost too burnt out on the previous tracks to appreciate it.
- On the other hand, Ben LaMar Gay had a more sinister and strange approach that kept my interest throughout, even though it went on for a bit. But Laurel Halo left me cold too.
- “Unravel” is just an untouchable song – it put the playlist back on the right track for me. “Die 4 You” was an inspired follow-up choice as well.
- I’ve never heard anything from Reality, but “Bring Me the Disco King” was a fantastic closer. Even though it’s stylistically different, you can almost hear the origins of Blackstar here.
- So while most of this playlist is not a style I seek out, glad I got a chance to explore it through your playlist. With a couple of exceptions for me, it worked well.
And that’s the last of the playlists for me. Got to say, everyone here did a top-notch job with their playlists. I really enjoyed listening to all of them!
Oh God, now I have to somehow rank all of these.
Last one: Joey. I deliberately kept this for last as I'm confident I will enjoy it, and I wanted to end on a good note. This has the most songs already in my Spotify library, four (Lucy Dacus, Angel Olsen, Porridge Radio, Waxahatchee), not to mention long-time favourites in my iTunes library like Porcupine Tree, REM, and U2.
I'm guessing The National has appeared on more lists than any other artist in this DI? I'm not converted, although I think I enjoyed this song the most of those used in this tournament. I also enjoyed the next five songs - none of these artists have grabbed me much but you chose well.
The transition from Lucy Dacus to Porcupine Tree seemed a bit clunky but they're both great songs, so I don't really care. Moreover, "Mellotron Scratch" sat quite well with "All Mirrors". I can't say I'm surprised that my list isn't the only one to feature "All Mirrors". It's a showstopper.
The stretch from "Blackstar" gets really dark. The pairing of NIN and Savages was effective, and you picked one of Torres's very best songs. I can't quite get into Priests though. To me they just seem like a less inspiring, less charismatic version of Aussie bands doing similar things, like Cable Ties in my list. I hold a grudge against Big Thief for playing easily one of the most tedious and lethargic live sets I've ever seen, supporting Warpaint. This song is tolerable.
How fitting to choose a song titled "Isolation Years" of all possible Opeth selections. I liked "The Last of Us" as a lead-in. They pair both in title and in sonic texture.
A couple of months ago I stumbled across Porridge Radio almost by accident on Spotify, just as Every Bad came out. "Lilac" was the first song I heard and it hooked me immediately. I felt like the whole album was a little repetitive, not quite their full potential, but very good, and "Lilac" gets my attention every time it comes on. What a tune.
Thrilled to see "Discoverer" get some love. It is easily my favourite late REM track. The way that Decemberists song built served to shift the mood in readiness for REM rather well, too. I wouldn't have thought to pair it with "A Sort of Homecoming" but Stipe's sustained "discoveeerreeerrrrr" seems to echo neatly in some of Bono's big notes. And then "Silver"! I'm really loving this section of the list.
Bit of a jump to "Sprawl II", but hey this is a good song. I didn't enjoy much of Arcade Fire's first two albums so I never listened to the Suburbs. And why do I always confuse Braids with Broods? I suppose I think both of them are kinda average, but I'd normally take Braids and I'm glad you did too.
Holy shit that last pairing of Nick Cave and Steven Wilson. That's haunting. I'm not a big fan of that SW album, but removing "The Raven..." from that context and putting it alongside "Push the Sky Away" brings out something completely new in it. It feels more organic, somehow. What a stunning way to end your list.
As I expected, this list slots into my top three. Joey, LJT, iYup, you've wrapped up this competition superbly for me and I've no idea how I'm going to separate your lists as my top three. I could just about draw lots, it's that close. LM won't be too far behind either. It's been a great tournament. I've felt bad for not being terribly enthusiastic about some other lists, especially as I think I might've come across more critical than most other listeners - and you all made such generous comments about my list! But this tournament has reinvigorated my passion to both make and hear DI lists. If this is the last dance, it has ended on a fucking strong note, but I really hope it's the resumption of something good.
I'm guessing The National has appeared on more lists than any other artist in this DI? I'm not converted, although I think I enjoyed this song the most of those used in this tournament. I also enjoyed the next five songs - none of these artists have grabbed me much but you chose well.
The transition from Lucy Dacus to Porcupine Tree seemed a bit clunky but they're both great songs, so I don't really care. Moreover, "Mellotron Scratch" sat quite well with "All Mirrors". I can't say I'm surprised that my list isn't the only one to feature "All Mirrors". It's a showstopper.
The stretch from "Blackstar" gets really dark. The pairing of NIN and Savages was effective, and you picked one of Torres's very best songs. I can't quite get into Priests though. To me they just seem like a less inspiring, less charismatic version of Aussie bands doing similar things, like Cable Ties in my list. I hold a grudge against Big Thief for playing easily one of the most tedious and lethargic live sets I've ever seen, supporting Warpaint. This song is tolerable.
How fitting to choose a song titled "Isolation Years" of all possible Opeth selections. I liked "The Last of Us" as a lead-in. They pair both in title and in sonic texture.
A couple of months ago I stumbled across Porridge Radio almost by accident on Spotify, just as Every Bad came out. "Lilac" was the first song I heard and it hooked me immediately. I felt like the whole album was a little repetitive, not quite their full potential, but very good, and "Lilac" gets my attention every time it comes on. What a tune.
Thrilled to see "Discoverer" get some love. It is easily my favourite late REM track. The way that Decemberists song built served to shift the mood in readiness for REM rather well, too. I wouldn't have thought to pair it with "A Sort of Homecoming" but Stipe's sustained "discoveeerreeerrrrr" seems to echo neatly in some of Bono's big notes. And then "Silver"! I'm really loving this section of the list.
Bit of a jump to "Sprawl II", but hey this is a good song. I didn't enjoy much of Arcade Fire's first two albums so I never listened to the Suburbs. And why do I always confuse Braids with Broods? I suppose I think both of them are kinda average, but I'd normally take Braids and I'm glad you did too.
Holy shit that last pairing of Nick Cave and Steven Wilson. That's haunting. I'm not a big fan of that SW album, but removing "The Raven..." from that context and putting it alongside "Push the Sky Away" brings out something completely new in it. It feels more organic, somehow. What a stunning way to end your list.
As I expected, this list slots into my top three. Joey, LJT, iYup, you've wrapped up this competition superbly for me and I've no idea how I'm going to separate your lists as my top three. I could just about draw lots, it's that close. LM won't be too far behind either. It's been a great tournament. I've felt bad for not being terribly enthusiastic about some other lists, especially as I think I might've come across more critical than most other listeners - and you all made such generous comments about my list! But this tournament has reinvigorated my passion to both make and hear DI lists. If this is the last dance, it has ended on a fucking strong note, but I really hope it's the resumption of something good.
Right late to the party on this but had a busy week last week and didn't get to write up what I listened to!
So apologies if a bit shorter write ups than the previous as I normally listen on my way to and back from work and can't take notes! So they are not as fresh in my mind as usual. However I have relistened to Cobblers:
My first listen I kinda didn't engage greatly with the first half however on my second listen more recently I enjoyed it a lot more whether that was a different frame of mind or the sun over the weekend who knows!
It was a very cohesive first section but I felt it came alive from Jen Cloher down to Nick Cave. I think someone else already pointed out The Drones singer sounds a lot like Nick, and I had to double take whether this was some unknown early song of theirs. Ali Barter was a great highlight of this section (something quite appealing about her voice).
However it is the second half which contains the sounds I really love, from Kardajala (which I am assuming was your transition point? It was great anyway and worked as such) on down. I probably would have loved the whole electronic list if that is what you have done. It contains a lot of what I really enjoy listening to at the moment, it was eclectic enough even though it was all electronic it included a lot of variety of sounds and textures in that realm (loved Pachanga Boys and Rufus du Sol especially). Terrazzo is something that is going on a chillout playlist and Mount Kimbie/808 State/DJ Koze are all ones I love. I just generally really dug the second half's vibe. It would be a strong contender if I was judging things on that alone.
So apologies if a bit shorter write ups than the previous as I normally listen on my way to and back from work and can't take notes! So they are not as fresh in my mind as usual. However I have relistened to Cobblers:
My first listen I kinda didn't engage greatly with the first half however on my second listen more recently I enjoyed it a lot more whether that was a different frame of mind or the sun over the weekend who knows!
It was a very cohesive first section but I felt it came alive from Jen Cloher down to Nick Cave. I think someone else already pointed out The Drones singer sounds a lot like Nick, and I had to double take whether this was some unknown early song of theirs. Ali Barter was a great highlight of this section (something quite appealing about her voice).
However it is the second half which contains the sounds I really love, from Kardajala (which I am assuming was your transition point? It was great anyway and worked as such) on down. I probably would have loved the whole electronic list if that is what you have done. It contains a lot of what I really enjoy listening to at the moment, it was eclectic enough even though it was all electronic it included a lot of variety of sounds and textures in that realm (loved Pachanga Boys and Rufus du Sol especially). Terrazzo is something that is going on a chillout playlist and Mount Kimbie/808 State/DJ Koze are all ones I love. I just generally really dug the second half's vibe. It would be a strong contender if I was judging things on that alone.
Joey
I think our tastes have a large overlap, so it was hard to me not to really enjoy your playlist.
I love 90s PJ Harvey, and The Sky Lit It Up is a banger. What an awesome start to this list, with the Mitski song that follows (Townie reminds be a lot of Your Best American Girl, maybe it’s the chord progression?).
I was really happy to see an early SVE song included. I listened to Tramp for the first a time in a while a couple of weeks ago, and it’s amazing how well it holds up. Her music seems almost timeless. I was also happy to get the TORRES song here- I know you are one of her big proponents here. I don’t go back to Sprinter that often, as I prefer the more rounded sound of Three Futures, but Sprinter to me is a good mix of the rawness of her debut and the refinements of her later sound.
Big Thief’s Not destroys me every time. The raw energy that comes from Adrienne’s delivery against the distorted guitar in the background is so powerful. That moment when all the instruments but the drums stop is one of my favorite musical moments in recent years. It fit perfectly here after TORRES, great transition.
If there is one segment of your playlist that lost me for a bit was the sequence with the Last of Us song (I can’t wait for the sequel this year!) followed by Opeth and Porridge Radio. I think that’s the bit where our tastes diverge a bit, but I also felt that it was somewhat of an abrupt tonal shift.
City Looks Pretty -> Sprawl II was an interesting transition. It works really well lyrically and thematically for your list, but it was a bit of a bump sonically I felt. But I like both songs a good deal. Sprawl II is my favorite song of the 2010s.
Overall, this was great and super enjoyable. I was familiar with the majority of your playlist, but that is not a complaint. I’ll be going back to it.
Ashley
I didn’t take detailed song by song notes about your list as I was outside most of the time when listening to it. Being outside was perfect for the listening experience, really, and I enjoyed your list a good deal. I am just somewhat conflicted because I loved loved your first half but didn’t connect as much to the second half, even though it contained a bunch of artists/songs I like (perhaps even more than the first half).
I’ve only spent like 5 days in LA, but I felt that the music in this first half really embodied at least my preconceived notions of the city. You really managed to create a very specific mood with this list, and that was fun. The opener was one of my favorite things in the list. The talk show/interview stuff in the beginning made me think of the opening of DAMN with the Fox News bit- there has to be a connection there, no?
Other highlights for me were Pharcyde’s “Runnin’”, that whole Grace Jones-Prince-Chaka Khan sequence. I also thought the closing sequence was fantastic, particularly the last two songs.
I've listened to LJT's and cobbler's list, and will post thoughts soon. iYup is next on the listening front. I'm sad that I have just one new list left...
I think our tastes have a large overlap, so it was hard to me not to really enjoy your playlist.
I love 90s PJ Harvey, and The Sky Lit It Up is a banger. What an awesome start to this list, with the Mitski song that follows (Townie reminds be a lot of Your Best American Girl, maybe it’s the chord progression?).
I was really happy to see an early SVE song included. I listened to Tramp for the first a time in a while a couple of weeks ago, and it’s amazing how well it holds up. Her music seems almost timeless. I was also happy to get the TORRES song here- I know you are one of her big proponents here. I don’t go back to Sprinter that often, as I prefer the more rounded sound of Three Futures, but Sprinter to me is a good mix of the rawness of her debut and the refinements of her later sound.
Big Thief’s Not destroys me every time. The raw energy that comes from Adrienne’s delivery against the distorted guitar in the background is so powerful. That moment when all the instruments but the drums stop is one of my favorite musical moments in recent years. It fit perfectly here after TORRES, great transition.
If there is one segment of your playlist that lost me for a bit was the sequence with the Last of Us song (I can’t wait for the sequel this year!) followed by Opeth and Porridge Radio. I think that’s the bit where our tastes diverge a bit, but I also felt that it was somewhat of an abrupt tonal shift.
City Looks Pretty -> Sprawl II was an interesting transition. It works really well lyrically and thematically for your list, but it was a bit of a bump sonically I felt. But I like both songs a good deal. Sprawl II is my favorite song of the 2010s.
Overall, this was great and super enjoyable. I was familiar with the majority of your playlist, but that is not a complaint. I’ll be going back to it.
Ashley
I didn’t take detailed song by song notes about your list as I was outside most of the time when listening to it. Being outside was perfect for the listening experience, really, and I enjoyed your list a good deal. I am just somewhat conflicted because I loved loved your first half but didn’t connect as much to the second half, even though it contained a bunch of artists/songs I like (perhaps even more than the first half).
I’ve only spent like 5 days in LA, but I felt that the music in this first half really embodied at least my preconceived notions of the city. You really managed to create a very specific mood with this list, and that was fun. The opener was one of my favorite things in the list. The talk show/interview stuff in the beginning made me think of the opening of DAMN with the Fox News bit- there has to be a connection there, no?
Other highlights for me were Pharcyde’s “Runnin’”, that whole Grace Jones-Prince-Chaka Khan sequence. I also thought the closing sequence was fantastic, particularly the last two songs.
I've listened to LJT's and cobbler's list, and will post thoughts soon. iYup is next on the listening front. I'm sad that I have just one new list left...
Thanks for the kind words Axver. I would highly recommend Silver Tongue, it is a wholly excellent album and the high point of what she has made up til now. I was fortunate enough to catch her just as she started touring the album at her second gig and well I guess it was possibly one of her last for a while as it was the week before the country locked down! But if it is going to my last gig for a while it was a great one to end on. Her previous songs definitely took on a further robustness and heft to their sound than on recording which was great as well.
In hindsight I would have added a few more songs that fit around Burial but I didn't want the whole playlist to become two hours plus. The order chopped and changed a bit in its making but having the Black Twig Pickers as my ending song was pretty much set from the start, its the coda I wanted but knew it would be a bit take it or leave it for people!
In hindsight I would have added a few more songs that fit around Burial but I didn't want the whole playlist to become two hours plus. The order chopped and changed a bit in its making but having the Black Twig Pickers as my ending song was pretty much set from the start, its the coda I wanted but knew it would be a bit take it or leave it for people!
cobl04
45:33
Thank you man!! Really appreciate the kind words, and glad to hear a shout-out for Jen Cloher, that track and its album are comfortably amongst my favourite music of the past decade.
So stoked that several people have really enjoyed the electronic section, a style of music that means so much to me. I envisaged Treaty as the transition point, but Ngurra is definitely part of that shift too. Thanks for noticing all the various styles held within, too. I'm glad you dug Time / Innerbloom, as that was the section I figured would turn everyone off, given it's more than a third of an hour long
iron yuppie
ONE love, blood, life
Agree completely. I really love the torch jazz style he adopted on his last recordings, and Disco King is where you first hear it. Apparently it was around as early as Black Tie White Noise as a standard rocker, then got reworked three times before it finally ended up on Reality.
cobl04
45:33
LJT I have listened to your list! It is good. I haven't read any of the other posts as of yet, so just offering my thoughts. I played this list through twice, as it felt like perhaps one of the more dense lists of the competition thus far. I enjoyed a lot of the songs, but for some reason I feel like, at least for me, it didn't create the cohesive mood it seemed to be trying to create. I could feel in so many places a mood being pointed at, but then on several occasions I felt like I was kind of whipped out of that by the next song. But I can't tell if I'm being overly analytical/critical and it did a great job, or if I'm just in a weird headspace as you alluded to commenting on my list, and on another day I'd love it, which is why I gave it a second listen. But I just felt like on several occasions there were moves from song to song that just seemed to take me out of the mood which was frustrating. Cos so often there were heady, anxious, frustrated, passionate vibes, but for some reason that I really don't know, it just didn't hang together that well, or captivate me as much as I was hoping. It seemed to jump around.
Anyway. Thought Funeral Procession was a terrific opener, which led really well into Obongjayar. He pops up a fair bit on Danny Brown's latest album and is definitely someone I need to look into further. DLZ is DLZ, absolutely killer, although I did feel like it could have helped to build up a bit more to this moment, felt like it came a bit soon. It was a great start to this playlist, I also loved the Cohen track - I thought to myself, a Teho & Blixa track wouldn't have gone astray here! - and major props for pairing Susanna and Torres, I assumed the Susanna track was Torres until I looked. The Fontaines track was terrific, definitely adding them to my list, and I also loved Spinney, The Fall, Loop the Loop and Ballad of Roy Batty. From FKA onwards it was cohesive and enjoyable but there weren't many things that really jumped out to me too much. Feather was fantastic. Melting Sun got better as it went on.
So yeah. Great job, some great songs, but I'm not quite sure how I feel about it overall. It's definitely a positive feeling, but just not sure I loved it as one piece.
Anyway. Thought Funeral Procession was a terrific opener, which led really well into Obongjayar. He pops up a fair bit on Danny Brown's latest album and is definitely someone I need to look into further. DLZ is DLZ, absolutely killer, although I did feel like it could have helped to build up a bit more to this moment, felt like it came a bit soon. It was a great start to this playlist, I also loved the Cohen track - I thought to myself, a Teho & Blixa track wouldn't have gone astray here! - and major props for pairing Susanna and Torres, I assumed the Susanna track was Torres until I looked. The Fontaines track was terrific, definitely adding them to my list, and I also loved Spinney, The Fall, Loop the Loop and Ballad of Roy Batty. From FKA onwards it was cohesive and enjoyable but there weren't many things that really jumped out to me too much. Feather was fantastic. Melting Sun got better as it went on.
So yeah. Great job, some great songs, but I'm not quite sure how I feel about it overall. It's definitely a positive feeling, but just not sure I loved it as one piece.
Jerry Dunk
Refugee
Listened to Ashley's list yesterday. This list is a great example of taking genres of music I'm not usually totally into or very knowledgeable of, and finding great examples to have me more interested. Well constructed and clear execution on the concept. One of the best of the competition. I would have never guessed The Who would fit on a disc primarily of west coast rap, but it worked really well. Well done.
the tourist
Blue Crack Addict
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2003
- Messages
- 27,919
After a short hiatus due to vacation and a couple other things, I’m back to listening. LJT first.
After a cursory glance it looks like I know of 6 or 7 of these artists, but haven’t heard any of these songs before (to my knowledge).
The Felix Blume and Obongjayar tracks weren’t for me and my tastes but I can appreciate them. TV on the Radio is a band I always enjoy when I hear, but usually not enough to really dive in deep. I like this one, but probably not enough to jump in much further. Really enjoyed the Leonard Cohen song. I have a feeling the “you want it darker” line is gonna get stuck my in head. Susanna, the Brotherhood of Our Lady keeps the vibe going. I really liked the TORRES track. I’ll have to check her out further.
Musically Fontaines DC reminded me of Early The Cure. Which is adore. I wish I liked the singer more because The Cure is a top 3 band for me, and their early stuff is some of their best. And when the next song, Hopeless, kicks in, Screaming Females reminds me of something Weezer would have released in the 90s with those fuzzy power chords. And then Spinney just cements a vibe. Some of these are getting a little mixed as I’m listening when I work, but that just highlights the flow. The Way The Wind Blows reminds me of something that would have been choreographed to for a piece of dance at the arts school mrs. tourist went to. That’s no knock. It’s great at putting me in that time. Great flow into The Fall which moves elsewhere. Love that guitar. It was super moody.
Hey look! Another Wild [Word] band. I think I’ve seen Wild Beasts mentioned but always got them confused with either Wild Nothing or Wild Cub and Wild Beasts doesn’t really sound like either. I dig it though. Ballad of Roy Beatty was fine but didn’t strike me as memorable. In fact, as Two Weeks kicked in I couldn’t really remember it. Really liked Two Weeks a lot. FKA Twigs is going into my list of things to check out further.
When I first glanced over the list I thought the next one was by Angel Olsen. But then I realized I misread it. But then as I listened to it, it seemed like it would fit in well with Angel Olsen, which made me chuckle to myself. I thought it was a beautiful song. Chilly, but beautiful. Keep The Streets Empty For Me keeps it chilly. I really like that percussive element and the stereo effect going on. The Austra song fit the mood really well, but it’s a lot less down. I like it. And then it feels like a flood or warmth with The Cracks by Another Sky. Writing this at the beginning of the song as it was striking, but I think I’m gonna like this. And hey I did. But then I didn’t care for No Reptiles. Some of the vocals were really offputting to me. I liked the music a whole lot more.
Broken Pieces is probably my favorite so far. I really like this. A lot. The percussiveness just hits me in all the right ways. Feather was pretty good, but not my favorite type of hip-hop from a musical/production standpoint. Definitely feel like I’m listening to hip-hop differently than ever before with what’s going on here. And then Melting Sun was heavy. Not typically something I listen to unless it’s an Axver DI. I always like it in that context, or this context, but rarely find myself listening to this genre otherwise. And that’s followed by the first Zola Jesus song that’s really resonated with me. I thought I didn’t like her music but this could change that.
Archangel made me think of Broken Pieces before it but I didn’t like it as much. Something about the choppy vocals. And then I wasn’t expecting bluegrass to end it but it was a nice way to wrap it up.
Lots to process but I really liked the whole thing. Mostly masterful flow except into Melting Sun. Favorite songs were Good Grief, Two Weeks, and Broken Pieces.
After a cursory glance it looks like I know of 6 or 7 of these artists, but haven’t heard any of these songs before (to my knowledge).
The Felix Blume and Obongjayar tracks weren’t for me and my tastes but I can appreciate them. TV on the Radio is a band I always enjoy when I hear, but usually not enough to really dive in deep. I like this one, but probably not enough to jump in much further. Really enjoyed the Leonard Cohen song. I have a feeling the “you want it darker” line is gonna get stuck my in head. Susanna, the Brotherhood of Our Lady keeps the vibe going. I really liked the TORRES track. I’ll have to check her out further.
Musically Fontaines DC reminded me of Early The Cure. Which is adore. I wish I liked the singer more because The Cure is a top 3 band for me, and their early stuff is some of their best. And when the next song, Hopeless, kicks in, Screaming Females reminds me of something Weezer would have released in the 90s with those fuzzy power chords. And then Spinney just cements a vibe. Some of these are getting a little mixed as I’m listening when I work, but that just highlights the flow. The Way The Wind Blows reminds me of something that would have been choreographed to for a piece of dance at the arts school mrs. tourist went to. That’s no knock. It’s great at putting me in that time. Great flow into The Fall which moves elsewhere. Love that guitar. It was super moody.
Hey look! Another Wild [Word] band. I think I’ve seen Wild Beasts mentioned but always got them confused with either Wild Nothing or Wild Cub and Wild Beasts doesn’t really sound like either. I dig it though. Ballad of Roy Beatty was fine but didn’t strike me as memorable. In fact, as Two Weeks kicked in I couldn’t really remember it. Really liked Two Weeks a lot. FKA Twigs is going into my list of things to check out further.
When I first glanced over the list I thought the next one was by Angel Olsen. But then I realized I misread it. But then as I listened to it, it seemed like it would fit in well with Angel Olsen, which made me chuckle to myself. I thought it was a beautiful song. Chilly, but beautiful. Keep The Streets Empty For Me keeps it chilly. I really like that percussive element and the stereo effect going on. The Austra song fit the mood really well, but it’s a lot less down. I like it. And then it feels like a flood or warmth with The Cracks by Another Sky. Writing this at the beginning of the song as it was striking, but I think I’m gonna like this. And hey I did. But then I didn’t care for No Reptiles. Some of the vocals were really offputting to me. I liked the music a whole lot more.
Broken Pieces is probably my favorite so far. I really like this. A lot. The percussiveness just hits me in all the right ways. Feather was pretty good, but not my favorite type of hip-hop from a musical/production standpoint. Definitely feel like I’m listening to hip-hop differently than ever before with what’s going on here. And then Melting Sun was heavy. Not typically something I listen to unless it’s an Axver DI. I always like it in that context, or this context, but rarely find myself listening to this genre otherwise. And that’s followed by the first Zola Jesus song that’s really resonated with me. I thought I didn’t like her music but this could change that.
Archangel made me think of Broken Pieces before it but I didn’t like it as much. Something about the choppy vocals. And then I wasn’t expecting bluegrass to end it but it was a nice way to wrap it up.
Lots to process but I really liked the whole thing. Mostly masterful flow except into Melting Sun. Favorite songs were Good Grief, Two Weeks, and Broken Pieces.
cobl04
45:33
Alright, I'm done now too. iYup was the final list. It might be my winner. But it also might not. There were parts I adored, and then parts that just lost me a bit. I'll have to go over all my posts.
I've never listened to Low, but Quorum was a fantastic way to start this list, and someone, Trevor/Mofo is screaming in happiness at them being talked about. Such a fantastic vibe this song has, the melancholy hangs really well with the dissonant electronics. I recall this album got quite good reviews, too, so I might have to check it out. I've got a bit of an issue with Tim Hecker, because I saw him live once and it was one of the worst shows I've ever been to. It wasn't even a show, really. Bathed in darkness the entire time and was just drones for an hour. It's the only show I've ever been to where people sat down (standing-only venue). But I should have expected that going in. Anyway, this continued the good vibe set by Quorum, although it felt like a slightly abrupt tonal shift, as Quorum, with its Dawn Chorus-esque vibes, is more downtrodden, and then we moved immediately into dread. I did not much like the Jesu track, though I loved the record he made with Mark Kozelek a few years ago.
Definitely appreciate the style of this playlist, a very welcome reprieve and introduced me to a lot of good instrumental sounds, starting with Oliver Coates and then into Slowdive. Session Add was, as everyone else has pointed out, fantastic, that's definitely going on my list. Reminded me a fair bit of Amnesiac-era Radiohead, like Pulk/Pull and some of the b-sides. Terrazzo I felt was a little out of place coming out of Session Add, but still love to hear it, and it worked exceptionally well into Satsuki Shibano, that was well done. Angel Echoes > Destiny was as good a one-two as anything in this competition. So good. I don't think I was quite in the mood for the jazz section, so I think I'll have to give this list another spin.
Bowl Hit onwards was pretty fantastic. Such dark, menacing vibes, and really unique sounds. Loved the Laurel Halo track in particular, and I'll have to look into Wild Beasts, really liked both tracks I heard from them. I know you and I have spoken about Disco King before, but it's a superlative Bowie track, and pretty much at the top of my Bowie 'deep cuts' list. Reality is a strange album, it's not great and feels quite uninspired in parts, but then it has a few songs that are as good as anything he's ever done, led by this song (Fall Dog Bombs the Moon is my other favourite). Great job, I think I'll need to listen to this playlist again.
I've never listened to Low, but Quorum was a fantastic way to start this list, and someone, Trevor/Mofo is screaming in happiness at them being talked about. Such a fantastic vibe this song has, the melancholy hangs really well with the dissonant electronics. I recall this album got quite good reviews, too, so I might have to check it out. I've got a bit of an issue with Tim Hecker, because I saw him live once and it was one of the worst shows I've ever been to. It wasn't even a show, really. Bathed in darkness the entire time and was just drones for an hour. It's the only show I've ever been to where people sat down (standing-only venue). But I should have expected that going in. Anyway, this continued the good vibe set by Quorum, although it felt like a slightly abrupt tonal shift, as Quorum, with its Dawn Chorus-esque vibes, is more downtrodden, and then we moved immediately into dread. I did not much like the Jesu track, though I loved the record he made with Mark Kozelek a few years ago.
Definitely appreciate the style of this playlist, a very welcome reprieve and introduced me to a lot of good instrumental sounds, starting with Oliver Coates and then into Slowdive. Session Add was, as everyone else has pointed out, fantastic, that's definitely going on my list. Reminded me a fair bit of Amnesiac-era Radiohead, like Pulk/Pull and some of the b-sides. Terrazzo I felt was a little out of place coming out of Session Add, but still love to hear it, and it worked exceptionally well into Satsuki Shibano, that was well done. Angel Echoes > Destiny was as good a one-two as anything in this competition. So good. I don't think I was quite in the mood for the jazz section, so I think I'll have to give this list another spin.
Bowl Hit onwards was pretty fantastic. Such dark, menacing vibes, and really unique sounds. Loved the Laurel Halo track in particular, and I'll have to look into Wild Beasts, really liked both tracks I heard from them. I know you and I have spoken about Disco King before, but it's a superlative Bowie track, and pretty much at the top of my Bowie 'deep cuts' list. Reality is a strange album, it's not great and feels quite uninspired in parts, but then it has a few songs that are as good as anything he's ever done, led by this song (Fall Dog Bombs the Moon is my other favourite). Great job, I think I'll need to listen to this playlist again.
Jerry Dunk
Refugee
LJT - I actually had to interrupt your playlist at one point because a major storm came through my area and the power was going in and out. I think it's a testament to your playlist that I was able to jump right back in and immediately be returned to the vibe by the meticulous construction of your list. It accomplishes exactly what you set out to do, in terms of a cohesive and tense atmosphere. I agree with iYup's previous comments about the list taking more chances with genre than most in this competition. By its nature, it's outside of my tastes, but it's really well done. I always respect a list that can convey a theme even without the aid of lyrics, as this list definitely has the musical themes front and center. Your concerns about being on the nose were unfounded; this list made the lyrics seem almost secondary because it invited you into it musically. Another strong entry to this competition.
Jerry Dunk
Refugee
iYup - It's interesting that the start of this list came from a discussion about yoga. You caught me at the right time for that, as I have started doing yoga while in quarantine. It's primarily because of back issues, but there are times when I appreciate the idea of trying to get into a meditative mindset and put effort towards that as well. There are definitely tracks here that remind me of the sort of music you might here when trying to meditate; I use online meditation and ASMR tracks to fall asleep most nights, so I'm pretty familiar with it.
The list doesn't totally hang in that space, and I think that's to its benefit. It would be too monotonous over two hours. For example, there's nothing relaxing about a song like the Laurel Halo track, but it's a pure atmosphere piece that I do think lends itself to thinking. That's the sort of music I might want to play when trying to write, for example.
I don't think any list that steers away from lyrics and vocals is ever going to be my favorite, just because that's how I engage with music the most. But like LJT's list, this is a well executed concept and introduced me to a lot of things I would never really seek out on my own.
The list doesn't totally hang in that space, and I think that's to its benefit. It would be too monotonous over two hours. For example, there's nothing relaxing about a song like the Laurel Halo track, but it's a pure atmosphere piece that I do think lends itself to thinking. That's the sort of music I might want to play when trying to write, for example.
I don't think any list that steers away from lyrics and vocals is ever going to be my favorite, just because that's how I engage with music the most. But like LJT's list, this is a well executed concept and introduced me to a lot of things I would never really seek out on my own.
iron yuppie
ONE love, blood, life
Thanks for the thoughts. It's interesting you mention Dawn Chorus. I discovered Oliver Coates when he opened for Thom Yorke at a show last year - the same show where I heard Dawn Chorus for the first time. Coates also plays on the Laurel Halo track. I'm glad you liked Laurel Halo. I tried a lot of different ways to fit it into the playlist, first because I love the vibe of the song, and second because the transition into Unravel was my favorite on the list.
Joey788
Refugee
Thanks Axver and gump for the compliments and feedback! Glad to hear you both enjoyed my playlist!
Axver,
I recently got Deadwing on vinyl. Relistening to the album just reinforces how great it is all-around. It’s my favorite Steven Wilson project and “Mellotron Scratch” is an underrated track in his discography. “All Mirrors” is probably my favorite song from last year. Just masterful in every way.
First time I saw Big Thief, they were playing a 3 p.m. slot at Boston Calling, which might be the worst setting for them. They aren’t a band built well for a big festival stage. At their own show though? Completely different story. I thought they really shined in a smaller setting with their own fanbase.
I agree that the album has some repetitive moments. Still worth a listen though for people who like “Lilac.” They’re relatively new as well, and I feel like their best work is ahead of them.
Thanks! I think “Rusalka, Rusalka” is the best song on the latest Decemberists LP and thought it made for a nice mood switch for my playlist. And yeah, Collapse Into Now ended R.E.M. on such a high note, especially with “Discoverer” as an opener.
Fully agree on the Raven album. The title track is leagues ahead of the other songs. It’s the same for me with Grace for Drowning and “Index” or “Postcard,” highlights among albums that mostly left me cold. I knew I wanted Nick Cave in my playlist and similar to what you said, having it next to “Raven” made them both sound fresher to me. (Also, for those who included him, we definitely favor later-period Nick Cave among the DI lists this time around!)
gump,
If you haven’t done so, I highly recommend listening to Bury Me at Makeout Creek. It’s sort of an early blueprint for Puberty 2, though grungier and more guitar-focused.
I can’t say enough good things about TORRES. If you haven’t done so yet, listen to Silver Tongue. It has the rhythmic focus of Three Futures, but overall sounds more organic and emotionally direct.
Not is what made me a fan of Big Thief. I was obsessed with that song last year.
Fair enough! The Last of Us is one of my favorite scores of all time. I recently picked up a copy of the soundtrack on vinyl and it floored me. I’m also a fan of the game series and I’m looking forward to the sequel!
Axver,
I recently got Deadwing on vinyl. Relistening to the album just reinforces how great it is all-around. It’s my favorite Steven Wilson project and “Mellotron Scratch” is an underrated track in his discography. “All Mirrors” is probably my favorite song from last year. Just masterful in every way.
First time I saw Big Thief, they were playing a 3 p.m. slot at Boston Calling, which might be the worst setting for them. They aren’t a band built well for a big festival stage. At their own show though? Completely different story. I thought they really shined in a smaller setting with their own fanbase.
I agree that the album has some repetitive moments. Still worth a listen though for people who like “Lilac.” They’re relatively new as well, and I feel like their best work is ahead of them.
Thanks! I think “Rusalka, Rusalka” is the best song on the latest Decemberists LP and thought it made for a nice mood switch for my playlist. And yeah, Collapse Into Now ended R.E.M. on such a high note, especially with “Discoverer” as an opener.
Fully agree on the Raven album. The title track is leagues ahead of the other songs. It’s the same for me with Grace for Drowning and “Index” or “Postcard,” highlights among albums that mostly left me cold. I knew I wanted Nick Cave in my playlist and similar to what you said, having it next to “Raven” made them both sound fresher to me. (Also, for those who included him, we definitely favor later-period Nick Cave among the DI lists this time around!)
gump,
If you haven’t done so, I highly recommend listening to Bury Me at Makeout Creek. It’s sort of an early blueprint for Puberty 2, though grungier and more guitar-focused.
I can’t say enough good things about TORRES. If you haven’t done so yet, listen to Silver Tongue. It has the rhythmic focus of Three Futures, but overall sounds more organic and emotionally direct.
Not is what made me a fan of Big Thief. I was obsessed with that song last year.
Fair enough! The Last of Us is one of my favorite scores of all time. I recently picked up a copy of the soundtrack on vinyl and it floored me. I’m also a fan of the game series and I’m looking forward to the sequel!
bono_212
Blue Crack Distributor
I intended to finish this up with IYup's list this weekend, but then I got some kind of weird stomach bug type deal and was in and out of sleep the entire weekend. I think I'll have time tonight.
the tourist
Blue Crack Addict
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2003
- Messages
- 27,919
On to Joey’s list.
Starting with The National is super strong with me. Especially The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness, which is a top 5 song by them for me. Just brilliance. Probably the best opener of the competition for me. I’m not super familiar with St. Vincent but I know I’ve heard this song before. I liked it when I first heard it. Don’t know if I knew who it was at the time, but this is fire. PJ Harvey I think I’ve only heard through DI or the Batman Forever soundtrack back in the mid 90s. I don’t know that this will really make me go out and listen to more of her stuff, but it was alright. Liked the energy near the end for sure. Townie reminds me of something I would have loved when I was still playing in garage rock bands. Not something I go out of my way to listen to anymore but I really appreciate it when I hear stuff like it. Serpents was fantastic. I need to put Sharon Van Etten into my list of things to check out further. Really like it a lot.
Timefighter’s big slow burn was great, and they hey I remember this next song. Haven’t thought about Porcupine Tree in ages. And as with the other instances of All Mirrors on DI, it’s fantastic. Easily the best Angel Olsen song I’ve heard. And then Daydreaming. I think I’ve made my thoughts known on here about how I don’t really care for this era of Radiohead. I kinda stopped being a superfan post In Rainbow. But Daydreaming works really well in the context. Maybe someday I’ll revisit the last decade of Radiohead. And following one sacrilege with another, Blackstar does nothing for me. The NIN song was alright but didn’t grab me. Didn’t really care for Husbands or Pink White House, but Sprinter drew me back in. Another reason to check out TORRES further. Great sloppy guitar in the Big Thief song. Love that big instrumental outro. The vocals weren’t my favorite. Something about the delivery reminded me of Brandon Flowers but with less control. The melody didn’t go where I expected. Once upon a time I read somewhere (maybe here?) that someone hated it when people described a song as cinematic. But that’s exactly how I think of The Last Of Us.
And with that, I’m taking a short break for a meeting at work. Will pick it back up later.
Starting with The National is super strong with me. Especially The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness, which is a top 5 song by them for me. Just brilliance. Probably the best opener of the competition for me. I’m not super familiar with St. Vincent but I know I’ve heard this song before. I liked it when I first heard it. Don’t know if I knew who it was at the time, but this is fire. PJ Harvey I think I’ve only heard through DI or the Batman Forever soundtrack back in the mid 90s. I don’t know that this will really make me go out and listen to more of her stuff, but it was alright. Liked the energy near the end for sure. Townie reminds me of something I would have loved when I was still playing in garage rock bands. Not something I go out of my way to listen to anymore but I really appreciate it when I hear stuff like it. Serpents was fantastic. I need to put Sharon Van Etten into my list of things to check out further. Really like it a lot.
Timefighter’s big slow burn was great, and they hey I remember this next song. Haven’t thought about Porcupine Tree in ages. And as with the other instances of All Mirrors on DI, it’s fantastic. Easily the best Angel Olsen song I’ve heard. And then Daydreaming. I think I’ve made my thoughts known on here about how I don’t really care for this era of Radiohead. I kinda stopped being a superfan post In Rainbow. But Daydreaming works really well in the context. Maybe someday I’ll revisit the last decade of Radiohead. And following one sacrilege with another, Blackstar does nothing for me. The NIN song was alright but didn’t grab me. Didn’t really care for Husbands or Pink White House, but Sprinter drew me back in. Another reason to check out TORRES further. Great sloppy guitar in the Big Thief song. Love that big instrumental outro. The vocals weren’t my favorite. Something about the delivery reminded me of Brandon Flowers but with less control. The melody didn’t go where I expected. Once upon a time I read somewhere (maybe here?) that someone hated it when people described a song as cinematic. But that’s exactly how I think of The Last Of Us.
And with that, I’m taking a short break for a meeting at work. Will pick it back up later.
the tourist
Blue Crack Addict
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2003
- Messages
- 27,919
Alright, picking Joey’s list back up.
The Opeth song was not what I expected. I don’t care for metal but it was not that. So I liked it more than I expected on paper at least. Lilac had a nice build, and that reverse part at the end was a great way to finish it off. The Decemberists song, while interesting, felt like forever. I haven’t ever really dug them. And then REM, who I almost never care for. But hey, then there’s A Sort Of Homecoming. Which is probably in my 10-15 range of U2, but somedays higher. Pulled me right back after a section that was starting to lose me. Waxahatchee was pretty good but I’ll say the transitions on the back half are a little rougher than they were on the front half so far. City Looks Pretty is a song by Courtney Barnett that I hadn’t heard yet. It wasn’t a favorite of mine and felt a bit long, and then the transition into Sprawl II was also rough. But Sprawl II is my second favorite song by Arcade Fire, only kept from the top by Wake Up.
The next section really flowed well but I kinda got lost in it. I really liked the songs by Jenny Lewis and Laura Stevenson a lot in that section. Never been a big Florence + The Machine fan. The others I didn’t know previously and I don’t really remember much about them. Claws In Your Back was beautiful. And hey, there’s a Nick Cave song I don’t dislike. I think I have disliked everything I previously had heard by him but that was pleasant. The Raven That Refused To Sing sounded like it could be a Thom Yorke song at the beginning. I had to check who was singing and then it made sense and I couldn’t hear Thom Yorke anymore. Haha.
This playlist definitely had moodiness throughout. It had some staggering highs but certain parts I felt dragged on a bit. The first half overall was more in my wheelhouse. Lots of good stuff there for me. Anyway, I enjoyed it! Thanks!
The Opeth song was not what I expected. I don’t care for metal but it was not that. So I liked it more than I expected on paper at least. Lilac had a nice build, and that reverse part at the end was a great way to finish it off. The Decemberists song, while interesting, felt like forever. I haven’t ever really dug them. And then REM, who I almost never care for. But hey, then there’s A Sort Of Homecoming. Which is probably in my 10-15 range of U2, but somedays higher. Pulled me right back after a section that was starting to lose me. Waxahatchee was pretty good but I’ll say the transitions on the back half are a little rougher than they were on the front half so far. City Looks Pretty is a song by Courtney Barnett that I hadn’t heard yet. It wasn’t a favorite of mine and felt a bit long, and then the transition into Sprawl II was also rough. But Sprawl II is my second favorite song by Arcade Fire, only kept from the top by Wake Up.
The next section really flowed well but I kinda got lost in it. I really liked the songs by Jenny Lewis and Laura Stevenson a lot in that section. Never been a big Florence + The Machine fan. The others I didn’t know previously and I don’t really remember much about them. Claws In Your Back was beautiful. And hey, there’s a Nick Cave song I don’t dislike. I think I have disliked everything I previously had heard by him but that was pleasant. The Raven That Refused To Sing sounded like it could be a Thom Yorke song at the beginning. I had to check who was singing and then it made sense and I couldn’t hear Thom Yorke anymore. Haha.
This playlist definitely had moodiness throughout. It had some staggering highs but certain parts I felt dragged on a bit. The first half overall was more in my wheelhouse. Lots of good stuff there for me. Anyway, I enjoyed it! Thanks!
LJT
Your list was so distinctive, with a very clear idea of what it wanted to be and a common “voice” throughout. At times, I thought it was pretty dark. The two short Balkan-influenced interludes worked perfectly. I half-expected a Beirut song at some point towards the end.
In terms of song choices, I was happy to see a lot of stuff that I hadn’t listened to in a long time, like TV on the Radio, Frankie Rose. But mostly there was a bunch of artists that I wasn’t familiar with. Screaming Females and This Is the Kit are two that I will be checking out, the latter in particularly really impressed me and was a nice way of finishing that first portion of your playlist.
I think using You Want It Darker early in the playlist was really a good decision, as it foreshadowed a lot of the dark sound that came later. The last few songs in particular, starting perhaps the electronic-influenced stretch of No Reptiles and Broken Pieces, was super dark, but in a very nice way. That Zola Jesus song worked so well in this section with those tense strings in the beginning (I really love Okovi). That last song was a nice denouement, though, and certainly a nice way of wrapping things up.
I really enjoyed it throughout, and particularly appreciate how you went for a particular mood and delivered on it. Great stuff.
Cobbler
Since you complained about the absence of LCD from my list, I need to pay back: how did you not find a spot for Courtney Barnett in that first half (at least Jen Cloher is there)?
In all seriousness, I really enjoyed your list. The first half with Australian artists had a number of nice to discoveries for me. One issue I had was that even though I liked the vast majority of songs individually, and will check out for more from some of these artists, I felt like it needed a few more mood changes, particularly in the beginning. The singer-songwriter style got a bit repetitive halfway through that portion. That said, I really liked the Ali Barter and Kelso songs (Jen Cloher, Stella Donnelly and Nick Cave are the only ones I was familiar with in the Australian portion of the list, and Gangs of Youth peripherally).
The second part, though much more familiar to me, excited me more due to the greater diversity and mood swings. This is the kind of music that I could listen in a lot of different contexts: cooking, reading, working. I really liked it a lot. I don’t think I had heard I Am A Citizen in several years, and I thought that was a fantastic transition to Sleep Well Beast (a really underrated song). I wasn’t really familiar with the last sequence of songs following The National, and really enjoyed it. Mount Kimbie in particular was excellent.
So overall I thought it was a great experience. I will definitely check out some of the artists in the first part, but as a playlist I think the second part worked more cohesively and kept my interest throughout.
Your list was so distinctive, with a very clear idea of what it wanted to be and a common “voice” throughout. At times, I thought it was pretty dark. The two short Balkan-influenced interludes worked perfectly. I half-expected a Beirut song at some point towards the end.
In terms of song choices, I was happy to see a lot of stuff that I hadn’t listened to in a long time, like TV on the Radio, Frankie Rose. But mostly there was a bunch of artists that I wasn’t familiar with. Screaming Females and This Is the Kit are two that I will be checking out, the latter in particularly really impressed me and was a nice way of finishing that first portion of your playlist.
I think using You Want It Darker early in the playlist was really a good decision, as it foreshadowed a lot of the dark sound that came later. The last few songs in particular, starting perhaps the electronic-influenced stretch of No Reptiles and Broken Pieces, was super dark, but in a very nice way. That Zola Jesus song worked so well in this section with those tense strings in the beginning (I really love Okovi). That last song was a nice denouement, though, and certainly a nice way of wrapping things up.
I really enjoyed it throughout, and particularly appreciate how you went for a particular mood and delivered on it. Great stuff.
Cobbler
Since you complained about the absence of LCD from my list, I need to pay back: how did you not find a spot for Courtney Barnett in that first half (at least Jen Cloher is there)?
In all seriousness, I really enjoyed your list. The first half with Australian artists had a number of nice to discoveries for me. One issue I had was that even though I liked the vast majority of songs individually, and will check out for more from some of these artists, I felt like it needed a few more mood changes, particularly in the beginning. The singer-songwriter style got a bit repetitive halfway through that portion. That said, I really liked the Ali Barter and Kelso songs (Jen Cloher, Stella Donnelly and Nick Cave are the only ones I was familiar with in the Australian portion of the list, and Gangs of Youth peripherally).
The second part, though much more familiar to me, excited me more due to the greater diversity and mood swings. This is the kind of music that I could listen in a lot of different contexts: cooking, reading, working. I really liked it a lot. I don’t think I had heard I Am A Citizen in several years, and I thought that was a fantastic transition to Sleep Well Beast (a really underrated song). I wasn’t really familiar with the last sequence of songs following The National, and really enjoyed it. Mount Kimbie in particular was excellent.
So overall I thought it was a great experience. I will definitely check out some of the artists in the first part, but as a playlist I think the second part worked more cohesively and kept my interest throughout.
cobl04
45:33
Thank you man! Was excited for your thoughts. Haha, CB was on the shortlist but I wasn't really in love enough with any of songs to make an inclusion. (Also, they've actually broken up since, I think around a year ago. Will be interesting to see how JC relates to her self-titled moving forward, as the relationship with CB is such a central theme to the record.)
I did worry about the mood for the first portion. It's one of those things where I really enjoy it, but I think unless a listener really loves the sound, it can definitely drag on a bit, so I was prepared for that. Kelso is an up-and-comer, and I'd highly recommend A Suitable Girl, the album The Captain is from, it's a fantastic record.
Thanks for the kind words on the second half too! I loved the Radiohead/National pairing on an electronic mix, and yes, that National track is so underrated. I feel like sadly I've missed my chance to see it played live, don't think they'll be pulling that one out again.
I did worry about the mood for the first portion. It's one of those things where I really enjoy it, but I think unless a listener really loves the sound, it can definitely drag on a bit, so I was prepared for that. Kelso is an up-and-comer, and I'd highly recommend A Suitable Girl, the album The Captain is from, it's a fantastic record.
Thanks for the kind words on the second half too! I loved the Radiohead/National pairing on an electronic mix, and yes, that National track is so underrated. I feel like sadly I've missed my chance to see it played live, don't think they'll be pulling that one out again.
the tourist
Blue Crack Addict
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2003
- Messages
- 27,919
Onto iYup.
Well that was a striking opener. Not sure what I expected from Low (whom I’ve heard of but never listened to), but that wasn’t it. And the crushed exceptions continues as I assumed Tim Hecker was singer-songwriter. The Jesu song is more what I was expecting from Low I think. Very claustrophobic with the super narrow stereo image drone. And then things lighten a bit with the Oliver Coates song. Reminds me of watching modern dance performances in my college years. Definitely similar to music used in that application. Even down to the uneasy, atonal ending. Slowdive is a band I’ve been told I’d like forever but never have listened to them intentionally. Really liking where this is going. Super moody drone, but not as claustrophobic as the Jesu song due to the wider stereo spread. Also that (lead guitar? piano?) reminds me of Unforgettable Fire era U2. Onto the Skee Mask track. Dang, this playlist is a mood so far!
I mostly liked the Visible Cloaks, Motion Graphics song except for that squealing halt. I had a negative reaction to that. The Satsuki Shibano song was alright but it kinda just faded into the background and I don’t really remember much about it aside from it being repetitive. Four Tet was similar in that regard but it feels like the mood of the playlist is changing. The song by John Talabot, Pional is my favorite so far. I could listen to this genre all day.
Definite shift happening for sure with Ibeyi and Kamasi Washington followed by Mulatu Astatke. The dark, electronic heaviness replaced by a lighter, more organic heaviness. And then the Fela Kuti song - this section is not in my typical wheelhouse but I definitely appreciate the vibe and musicianship. That sentiment continues with the Duke Pearson, Yusef Lateef, and Junius Paul song. After that it seems the jazz section is over and a return to ambience and icy electronic with the Ben LeMar Gay song - or at least the front half of the song. Then it changes. Icy with horns and ring modulators. Flows well into the icy textures on the Laurel Halo song.
Still don’t care for Björk at all. Nothing changes there. The Perfume Genius song is pleasant in a claustrophobic sort of way. Really dig the drum beat on the Wild Beasts song, and then the keys in the final third are glorious. From the Bowie songs I’ve heard I’m hot and cold on him, this is on the colder side. Not my favorite of his sounds, but definitely fits as a coda to the jazz back half.
This playlist is extremely difficult for me because it’s just so out of the realm of things I would find myself listening to. It’s nuanced, textured, and the flow was superb. It was full of great musicianship, had mood and vibe in spades. Destiny was my favorite.
Well that was a striking opener. Not sure what I expected from Low (whom I’ve heard of but never listened to), but that wasn’t it. And the crushed exceptions continues as I assumed Tim Hecker was singer-songwriter. The Jesu song is more what I was expecting from Low I think. Very claustrophobic with the super narrow stereo image drone. And then things lighten a bit with the Oliver Coates song. Reminds me of watching modern dance performances in my college years. Definitely similar to music used in that application. Even down to the uneasy, atonal ending. Slowdive is a band I’ve been told I’d like forever but never have listened to them intentionally. Really liking where this is going. Super moody drone, but not as claustrophobic as the Jesu song due to the wider stereo spread. Also that (lead guitar? piano?) reminds me of Unforgettable Fire era U2. Onto the Skee Mask track. Dang, this playlist is a mood so far!
I mostly liked the Visible Cloaks, Motion Graphics song except for that squealing halt. I had a negative reaction to that. The Satsuki Shibano song was alright but it kinda just faded into the background and I don’t really remember much about it aside from it being repetitive. Four Tet was similar in that regard but it feels like the mood of the playlist is changing. The song by John Talabot, Pional is my favorite so far. I could listen to this genre all day.
Definite shift happening for sure with Ibeyi and Kamasi Washington followed by Mulatu Astatke. The dark, electronic heaviness replaced by a lighter, more organic heaviness. And then the Fela Kuti song - this section is not in my typical wheelhouse but I definitely appreciate the vibe and musicianship. That sentiment continues with the Duke Pearson, Yusef Lateef, and Junius Paul song. After that it seems the jazz section is over and a return to ambience and icy electronic with the Ben LeMar Gay song - or at least the front half of the song. Then it changes. Icy with horns and ring modulators. Flows well into the icy textures on the Laurel Halo song.
Still don’t care for Björk at all. Nothing changes there. The Perfume Genius song is pleasant in a claustrophobic sort of way. Really dig the drum beat on the Wild Beasts song, and then the keys in the final third are glorious. From the Bowie songs I’ve heard I’m hot and cold on him, this is on the colder side. Not my favorite of his sounds, but definitely fits as a coda to the jazz back half.
This playlist is extremely difficult for me because it’s just so out of the realm of things I would find myself listening to. It’s nuanced, textured, and the flow was superb. It was full of great musicianship, had mood and vibe in spades. Destiny was my favorite.
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